Program

Seminar 1: ICBC

Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

Want to know more about what’s in the future for ICBC? No Jedi mind tricks necessary. Join this session to hear the ICBC team discuss what’s on the horizon, Enhanced Care, and more involving our shared role in meeting the evolving needs of British Columbians.

Colleen Bognar, Senior Manager, Recovery Strategic Relations 

Joanne Stone-Campbell, Associate Director, Indigenous Relations 

David Fearncombe, Director, Insurance Sales, Distribution, ICBC
David is ICBC’s Director, Insurance Sales, Distribution. He is responsible for driving the strategic direction of the sale and distribution of ICBC’s products and services. He oversees both the Broker Accounts and Broker Governance teams as they build relationships with our broker partners while continuing to manage broker compliance to over 900 broker locations throughout British Columbia. David has significant sales and distribution experience in financial services including, most recently, at Coast Capital Wealth Management. Prior to Coast Capital, David directed distribution for western Canada for Desjardins Wealth. He also spent some time on the board of North Shore Insurance Services.

Brandon Wong, Associate Director of Underwriting, Insurance Division, ICBC
Brandon Wong is ICBC’s Associate Director of Underwriting for the Insurance division. He is responsible for oversight of risk underwriting, underwriting services and the operational delivery of ICBC's commercial underwriting garage and fleet business. Brandon has been with ICBC for over eight years and was also the business lead for ICBC’s Rate Design project as Insurance Portfolio and Product Advisor. Brandon earned his Chartered Insurance Professional accreditation through the Insurance Institute of Canada in 2013 and has worked in the insurance industry well before that at RSA Insurance and Canadian Direct Insurance.

Seminar 2: Insurance Council of B.C.

Time: 11:00 AM - Noon

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

The Insurance Council of BC will speak about the Competency Framework they’ve been developing and its impact on licensing in the future, licensing harmonization in Canada for brokers and adjusters, and restricted licensing in B.C., MGA regulation, and more.

Janet Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Council of BC
Janet Sinclair is the Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Council of BC, responsible for its operations, including the licensing and compliance of over 50,000 licensees. She reports to the Voting Members of Council. Prior to joining the Insurance Council in 2017, she held various roles during her 16 years at Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Janet originally trained as a genetic technologist and became engaged in the regulation of health professions in BC. She supports regulation that sets licensing standards, provides guidance, and manages misconduct to serve the public interest.

Lunch Break

Time: Noon - 1:00 PM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

Networking lunch with ICBC and the Insurance Council of BC.

IBABC Annual General Meeting

Time: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Check-in opens at 12:30 PM: Please register for the AGM here

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

Don’t miss the most important meeting of the year. Discuss issues that directly affect brokers and help determine the direction of the association, including an update on the Broker Identity Program, a presentation from IMPACT focused on government relationships and advocacy, Insurance Council licensing and competency framework, and discussion of the upcoming 2027 Accord. IBABC members please note the AGM has a separate registration which will also be provided to you. Only members in good standing are entitled to attend and vote at the AGM.

Welcome Reception

Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location: Woodlands Terrace (Rooftop)

After the AGM, our rebel alliance will come together to celebrate the start of our epic journey at the welcome reception. Whether you’re a Jedi master or rebel leader, there’s a place for you at this interstellar gathering to enjoy some refreshments and network.

IBABC Gala Dinner

Time: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Location: Woodlands Terrace (Rooftop)

After the reception cap off your day with dinner and music. Unite as brokers and industry stakeholders to focus on the future.

Breakfast at Leisure

Time: 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

Join your industry colleagues to fuel up before a full day of sessions.

Motivational Speaker: Mandy Gill

Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

After building and scaling one of the world’s most effective behavior change apps, Hooked on Healthy Habits, Mandy Gill has one of the world’s largest datasets focused on goal-setting, resilience, and maximizing positive results. Drawing on her experience, Mandy is helping leaders and their teams thrive in the face of uncertainty in the future of work by equipping them with strategies to navigate those inevitable challenges and detours that can often feel like failure. Mandy shares authentic parallels between the principles she uses to succeed while climbing some of the highest peaks in Nepal and around the world, along with running hundred-plus-kilometer ultra-trail marathons. Mandy builds a compelling case for the uncontrollable environments in extreme adventure, and the ones that we face every day—at work, at home, and in our communities.

In addition to being a highly successful female entrepreneur and CEO, Mandy is an internationally
known, highly respected media personality. As a Harvard Leadership Program graduate, and an author, Mandy is also passionate about leveling the playing field and opening doors for women across the globe, which has twice earned her Women of Distinction Awards. Mandy’s newest book, “Reset with Resilience: A Guide to Greatness When Your Goals Go Sideways” was released in January 2025.

Seminar 3: Earthquake – The “BIG IF” Aftermath

Time: 10:30 AM - Noon

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

This session will describe the impact a major earthquake striking our metropolitan areas would have for B.C. and the country overall. The panel will discuss the human and financial toll of such an event and the important work being undertaken to improve our resilience.

Panelists:

Paul Kovacs, Founder and Executive Director, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.
Paul Kovacs is the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at Western University, Canada’s leading disaster research institute. For over 20 years, he was a lead author with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize. Widely recognized as Canada’s leading authority on insurance and extremes, Paul has written over 200 publications and served in key roles including Chair of Ontario’s Advisory Panel on Climate Change and the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes.

Alister Campbell, President and CEO, Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation.Alister Campbell is CEO of the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC), appointed in 2019. A 40-year insurance industry veteran, he has served as CEO of Zurich Canada and The Guarantee Company of North America. His career spans senior roles across property-casualty, life, and travel insurance, with experience in management, marketing, distribution strategy, investor relations, and digital commerce. He serves on several industry boards and holds degrees from the University of Toronto, the London School of Economics, and the Wharton School.

Aaron Sutherland, Vice President, Western & Pacific, Insurance Bureau Canada.
Aaron is Vice-President for the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Pacific and Western regions, where he leads government relations efforts in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. He works to elicit positive change and advance sound public policy on key priorities for the property and casualty insurance industry. Prior to joining IBC in 2014, Aaron held senior roles with the B.C. government and Interior Health Authority. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from the University of British Columbia.

Luncheon

Time: Noon - 1:45 PM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

Join us for lunch to celebrate our 2024 scholarship and CAIB awards recipients.

Seminar 4: Reality Check: The Day My Brokerage was Hacked

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

When you hear people say, “It’s not a question of if it will happen, it is a statement of when it will happen”, they are speaking the truth and you need to listen. Hear a first-hand account of the process, pains, wins and learnings from a broker that went through a cyberattack and privacy breach. The privacy lawyer and underwriter on this claim will also participate.

Traci Boland, past president, IBAC, and Partner London Office, Ontario West
Traci is a passionate and dedicated insurance professional with over two decades of industry experience. Since joining her father’s brokerage in 2001, she’s become a leader in the field, earning her CAIB designation, Future Leaders Certification, and her unrestricted license from the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO). Traci now co-owns the family-run business with Jamie Marshall, continuing a legacy started by their fathers over 45 years ago. Before insurance, she was a competitive figure skating coach, leading teams at the national and international level. Traci now serves as Chair of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada.

Seminar 5: AI – Rise of the Machine

Time: 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

Dive into how artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the insurance landscape, presenting both challenges and golden opportunities for brokers. The session highlights the opportunity for brokers to embrace AI tools and automation to optimize processes, enhance client retention, and ultimately drive growth. Brokers who effectively leverage this technology will not only stay competitive but will also unlock new levels of efficiency and profitability, leaving old ways of working behind.

Tom Reid, DX lead, IBAC
Tom has spent over 25 years in senior leadership roles in the Canadian P&C industry, with experience in digital strategy, marketing, software development, finance, underwriting, and business development. He has served as COO of a large brokerage, regional head for a major carrier, and president of a startup digital tech firm. Tom now consults for insurance clients and leads IBAC’s broker/carrier connectivity initiative. He also volunteered for a decade with high-performance athletes, including as Canadian team leader at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Executive Insurer Panel

Time: 4:20 PM - 5 PM

Location: Macdonald Ballroom

The senior executives will sit down for a moderated session to discuss capacity. Audience participation will be encouraged. Come prepared with your questions! Confirmed Panelists:

Randy Dhillon, SVP Chief Distribution & Regional Operations Officer, Wawanesa.
Randy Dhillon was recently appointed Senior Vice President, Chief Distribution and Regional Operations Officer at Wawanesa. Since joining in 2019 as Director, HR Business Partnerships, he has held several leadership roles, including Vice President, HR Business Partnerships & People Development, and Vice President Central Region. With a 20-year career across commercial operations and HR functions, Randy has led teams in customer management and agriculture industries. He holds an Executive MBA, a Bachelor’s degree, and earned his CIP designation in 2023.

Bryan Craigen, Vice President, Broker Distribution, Western Region, Aviva.
As Aviva’s Vice President of Distribution for western Canada, Bryan and his team work with brokers to build profitable growth strategies that can mutually benefit the partnership. With nearly 20 years’ experience in the industry, including time on broker side of the business, Bryan leverages his past experience, alongside critical feedback from our partners, to ensure Aviva can deliver on customers’ needs across all lines of business. Bryan resides in Victoria, BC and in his spare time he enjoys everything that comes with being dad to his 5-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.

Darren Godfrey, SVP Western Canada, Intact.
Darren Godfrey was appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Intact Insurance, West as of March 2025. He oversees Personal Lines and Commercial Lines operations from British Columbia to Manitoba. Since joining the organization in 2001, Darren has held a variety of positions, including roles in Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Claims for the West Division, Personal Lines Underwriting and Actuarial Services, and most recently as Executive Vice President, Global Specialty Lines.